Wichita eagle., 1887-07-22
COMBINATIONS.

|
same line of business have been competitor
for the patronage Of the public. This nat
ural competition, law of trade which gov
erns prices has been set aside by combina
lions. 1t has been discovered In this ag
that one class of trade affecting large sec
tions of country can be combined ant
prices held up by dividing profits on tn
whole, each individual in the combination
) getting his per cent The selfshness o.
man is said to be the incentive to all crime
This selfshness, however, serves goOC
purpose in trade and in the end defeats its
own aims and protects society. That is
the truth, however. when trade is left to
run In its natural channels. For an illus
tration suppose that all the grain buyers at
one or several stations conclude to combine
| in order to secure better profits. Every
buyers selfish interest is appealed to, and
all agree to buy on certain profit, say
two cents per bushel. Now the very sell
fishness that prompted this combination
| will interfere with its continuance.
For instance John Jones will say
| now am shipping the grain that belongs
to my station and am doing profitable
business, but self comes In and tells Jones
that by shipping on one and one-half cents
per bushel profit he will get more grain
than the other fellows and largely increase
his profits. Jones gets caught at this
little scheme and the 'pool is busted, a
war ensues and more money is lost In the
fight than was made by the combination.
This does not only apply to the smaller
business interests of the country, but to
the corporations. Nearly every rate war
between railroads is the result of "busted
pool" This troublesome Jones even gets
to be railroad manager and causes trouble
among the roads. To devise means to con-
troll this man Jones is subject that has
engaged the best minds among those who
are interested in getting the better of the
public. Jones is hard case, but perhaps,
unintentionally on his part, he is benefac-
tor to the public This is an
age of discovery and way has
been discovered to hold Jones level We
believe the discovery was made down in
the Anthracite coal regions of Pennsyl-
vania. Instead of agreeing on certain
price for coal and each mine owner receiv-
ing his own profits under this new dis
covery the profits are paid into a pool
treasury and divided at stated times. A
A large amount is constantly in this treas
ury, and each member signs a contract to
forfeit his interest in the large fund, in
case he violates the rules of the combina
ton. This settles Jones; there is no in
ducement for him to cut in prices. In con-
sequence Of this scheme to control Jones,
the miners of that region are thoroughly
competent to rob consumers of coal. The
public do large amount of kicking, but it
does not appear at present how they are
going to help themselves. The Ohio coal
fields have been unable to CONTROL Jones
heretofore. But the Pennsylvania discov-
cry is being applied there. now, and the
Jonses of the Brush Creek mines are said
to be the only ones left out of the pool. Of
course some means will be adopted to get
the Brush Creek miners in the organization
After this is accomplished large consumers
of coal in that state advertising for bids to
furnish them with coal, as is now the GUS
tom, will only subject such parties to rid
icule. They can then select the mine from |
which to buy and pay the regulation price |
In the matter of railroad transportation the |
interstate law serves the same purpose for |
the roads that the pool fund does for the
owners of coal mines. The railroads form
pools between competing points, but even
in this the Jones class of railroad mana
gers have caused much trouble by cutting
rates and giving drawbacks. The inter
state law Is the scheme of the roads to con-
troll this class of managers The law was in
tended when cut in rates is made at these
co mpeting points, to compel like reduc-
ton at intermediate points. This no ex-
tensive road can afford to do any more
th an the owner of coal mine can afford
to forfeit his profits in the pool
Thus it can be seen these combinations are
by removing the interest of the
parties concerned to end the combination.
This ability Of the corporations to control
heir Jones is wherein they are smarter
han the common herd. The public cannot
control Its Jones. If they could do this
hey could beat the corporations. Now
suppose the Rock Island railroad were to
ay to the people of Wichita: You have
'een imposed upon by the roads running
n your city; they have charged you eighty
lollars per car load for certain kinds of
reight from Chicago, when We can ship
he same freights for forty dollars per Car
DAD; if you will give us all your business
We will ship for that price. All the people !
would say yes to that What would be
he result? Why, the other roads would say
ere, we will ship for thirty i've dollars car.
Then We would be surprised at the num-
yer of Jones in the city, who would go ,
yer to the other roads 1t would be
hown that great majority of the city are
f the Jones family and the inability of the
ity to control their Jones would defeat
heir scheme of cheap rates; and the Rock ,,
sland would be forced into the pool and ,